11 Cheap Places to Start Selling Online
Got something you are trying to get rid of? Need a little extra cash and can part ways with some of your stuff? Or maybe you’re wanting to start a side hustle.
The internet has made selling items so much easier than before. No longer do you need to go to your pawn shop or even host your own garage sale, you can sell your goods right from your home.
Before you sell anything be sure to check what other people may be selling it for first to get an idea of what price yours may possibly go for.
Facebook Marketplace
The Marketplace is a popular platform to sell items to local buyers.
When you sell something on Facebook Marketplace, you create a public listing that can be seen by anyone on Marketplace and in News Feed, search and other places on or off Facebook.
You’re the one that will need to make the arrangements for payment and delivery. Payments can be done within the app and for delivery that is also up to you.
Facebook charges zero fees to list your items if you sell them locally. If a customer places an order for shipping, the seller is only charged 5{166b94f287569d1a0b2d85b3ea75ab9dd7b0d0871262724b9cd08371aa02a20d} of the sale price. The low overhead makes listing products on Facebook a no-brainer for new or experienced ecommerce sellers.
Craigslist
Craigslist is probably the best-known site if you want to buy or sell locally. As a buyer, you can simply browse the listings or search for specific items. You’re able to specify your location by city, region, or state, allowing you to shop as nearby as you wish. Once you find an item you want, contact the seller directly to work out the details of the sale.
Nextdoor
If you don’t want the hassle of shipping your stuff, sell it on Nextdoor. This community app allows you to post a listing for items you wish to sell or give away. Upload a photo and select a category, price or free, description and title
eBay
On eBay, like Amazon, companies can register as sellers, list their products, and start selling within the platform. Unlike other popular e-commerce marketplaces, eBay offers a variety of ways to sell, from simple listings to virtual auctions, and gives you the option of allowing your potential buyers to choose to bid or buy now.
Etsy
Etsy is essentially an online shopping mall where people just like you connect to produce, buy and sell mostly handcrafted, vintage, or one-of-a-kind items. According to Esty, they’ve helped 1.8 million sellers thrive by providing support and training for making their web-based stores successful. If you’re an artist, jewelry maker, interior designer, craftsperson or collector, Etsy is the perfect platform to showcase and sell your work to a global audience.
Poshmark
Poshmark is an app for buying and selling new and pre-owned clothes, shoes, accessories, personal care products, and home goods.
The simplicity of this one makes it a no-brainer for getting rid of / selling things quickly. Just take pictures of your items and write the description on your phone and submit.
Amazon
Amazon is a popular platform for both sellers and shoppers. To cope with the rising demands of the sellers, it has rolled out its FBA service. This service allows sellers to leverage the platform’s powerful distribution network and customer base to make their business dream come true. For retailers, it’s the most popular choice of platform.
FBA stands for “Fulfillment by Amazon” which means Amazon will store your products in the Amazon inventory, fulfill your orders, and offer customer service.
VarageSale
VarageSale attempts to create a virtual version of the garage sale concept. To buy or sell here, first enter your location to join your closest community. You then connect with Facebook or through a texted code to verify your identity and must be approved by an administrator to gain access to the site. Once you’re approved, you can then buy and sell items with other verified people in your area.
Ruby Lane
Ruby Lane is a sales site specializing in antiques, collectibles, dolls, fine art, furniture, lighting, glass, jewelry, porcelain, pottery, and vintage fashion.
Things to consider with this are the commissions & fees. It’s $54 per month; additional listing fees for more than 50 items; 6.7{166b94f287569d1a0b2d85b3ea75ab9dd7b0d0871262724b9cd08371aa02a20d} service fee, capped at $250 per item.
Offerup
Skip the all-day yard sale and list your stuff within 30 seconds (so claims its creators) on OfferUp. This free-to-use app is ideal for sellers looking for buyers in their local community. Communication between the parties on OfferUp takes place through the app via secure messaging.
If you want to extend your range, OfferUp allows you to sell locally or nationwide. For a local sale, you collect cash in person. For goods that need to be shipped, payments are made through the app
Mercari
No meetups required with this selling app because all items ship. Mercari allows you to list as many items as you want with zero listing fees. What’s the catch? It does charge a flat 10 percent selling fee when your item sells.
Final Thoughts
Consider fees and convenience when choosing among these marketplaces, speciality sites and local platforms. These are cheap in comparison to having your own site created and all of these platforms already have a built in audience.
Unless you’re trying to start your own e-commerce business, using a service like any of the above will results in the quickest way of selling your items.
